Canada currently has two important opportunities to strengthen our national food system.

The federal government’s new National Food Security Strategy, announced in June, is putting a welcome focus on producing more food in Canada, including more fruits and vegetables.

At the same time, federal, provincial and territorial governments are developing the Next Policy Framework, the five-year agreement that will replace the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership in 2028.

Together, these initiatives represent a generational opportunity for Canadian agriculture after two decades of eroding government support programs, increasing red tape, rising costs and growing risks that have steadily undermined our competitiveness. 

Now, we're finally hearing strong signals that domestic food production and food security are moving to the forefront of government policy. There's an opportunity to change that trajectory and give growers the support they need to remain competitive, invest in their businesses and produce more food here at home.

But to make that happen, these two initiatives need to work together.

If we want to increase domestic food production and strengthen Canada’s food security, the programs developed under the Next Policy Framework (NPF) should help us get there. That means making sure the people who actually produce our food have a strong voice in how those programs are designed and delivered.

There is no shortage of organizations interested in agriculture and food policy, and while many groups have perspectives worth hearing, there is an important difference between having an interest in food and representing the growers whose businesses will ultimately determine whether Canada can actually produce more of it – and do so profitably and competitively.

As grower organizations, we know our sectors. We know what is preventing farms from expanding, where existing programs are falling short and what kinds of investments and policy changes can have real impact. And, as their representatives, we are accountable to our fellow growers.

The National Food Security Strategy sets an ambitious direction for Canadian agriculture. Its recognition that Canada needs to increase domestic fruit and vegetable production is particularly important for our sector – but we also must create the conditions that let growers reach those targets.

Fruit and vegetable production is incredibly diverse. Greenhouse growers face different challenges than apple, potato, tender fruit or field vegetable growers. Farm sizes and markets vary, as do production risks and capital requirements.

Labour is a significant cost, many of our crops are highly perishable and growers compete against imported products that can be produced under very different cost and regulatory conditions.

Those realities need to be understood before programs are designed, not discovered after they are launched.

The same is true for the Next Policy Framework. When I wrote about it earlier this year, I talked about the opportunity to rethink how governments support primary production.

We need business risk management programs that are simpler, faster and more responsive. We need support for innovation that helps useful new technologies get onto farms sooner, which means growers have to have the financial ability and confidence to invest in adopting those technologies. And we need programs that recognize the differences between agricultural sectors instead of trying to fit everyone into the same box.

The Halifax Statement released by federal, provincial and territorial agriculture ministers this summer sets out priorities for the next framework, including competitiveness, trade, resilience, research and innovation. Those priorities are closely connected to food security. What’s important now is making sure that connection carries through into action.

That starts by asking some basic questions. How can fruit or vegetable growers produce more competitively? What is stopping a farm business from expanding or investing? Are existing programs helping, or are their rules, timelines and paperwork getting in the way? And can we improve what already exists instead of creating another program to apply for?

These are questions that the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association and other agricultural organizations can help governments answer. Grower groups should be part of development, rollout and evaluation so problems can be identified early and programs adjusted if they aren’t delivering the intended results.

Having the National Food Security Strategy and the Next Policy Framework work together and keeping growers part of the process means we can help turn the renewed focus on food security into lasting support for Canadian food production.